RDWC
Week 4 flower
Advanced hydroponics of Holland, 1xmicro + 3xbloom
My pH is dripping to like 4.4!!! This is not good, what could I do?
Shit, I was fearing something like this... Its gonna be a big job, in a small space... well, I don't have an option, so wash wash wash it is...I'll assume haps miss-read your post. If your ph is going Down and EC is stable you may have a bacterial/fungal infection in your rez. When you add Acidic Nutes PH goes Down; When the plants take up the acidic nutrient salts PH goes Up. I'd start by flushing the plants well with pH adjusted water. Mix up a new rez and adjust pH to 5.5-5.8 add bleach at 1ml per 5gal water and keep an eye on ph if it still drops you can up the bleach to 2ml per 5gal. Good luck I had this problem when my white buckets facilitated an algal bloom in my drip system.
HM
Root rot..when ph drops in the res..thats the problem
In my bloom, consistant for several years now, when plants feed my ph goes way down, I did not misunderstand, and I said what I meant to say. I don't do EC, have never seen any use to it. but I already new how to grow before hydro, so the plants tell me most of what I need to know.
Check the res and roots, how do they look? Roots that have problems show it, res problems should also be easy to see. What size res, is it real small?
Tab @ ec=0.3 pH=7Hey.
Few questions.
RO or tab?
No, they actually look ok, little light under the lights, so I put the light higherWhat is the effect on your plants, stunned growth?
8weeks, going @5, its black dominaHow fast is the strain you are growing?
No, just basic ferts, had problems with adds and never had gain, so dont bother using them,K.I.S.SDo you use any additives or H2O2?
NH4???How big an amount of the N in your fertilizer is NH4? (should be on the bottle)
Clay, 0.6 gallons in the hole system, and they don't touch the water just holds the plants up in 4" netpotsWhat do you use as growth medium? If you use clay, lavarock or similar - how big a volume of it?
Roots are white, no rot, rez is about 100 gallonsCheck the res and roots, how do they look? Roots that have problems show it, res problems should also be easy to see. What size res, is it real small?
I think its bacteria as well, its most likely.Theres very few reasons for PH drop in this manner. If its dropping by whole points or more on a daily basis then theres a problem, causes major stress on the plants too, its a big drop 1.0+ = many times more acidic etc.
First id flush/leach the pots through with very mild nute solution, EC 0.2 for example.
then i'd try adjusting EC by lowering it, you need to eliminate EC from the equasion, could be as simple as that. if it doesnt work-
9 times out of 10 its gonna be a bacterial issue, especially if res temps are in the mid to high 70's, say 75-80f could pose potential problems with bacterial bloom.(especially in low O2 enviroments)
If after(3days+) adjusting/lowering EC & after leaching media/pots through, you still see the PH drop, Run H2o2/OXY+ at full strength(0.5mls per litre at 17.5% strength) & mineral nutes only(nothing else) for 1 week, always seems to fix the issue for me(bleach will work too, but...its for toilets imo), if it happens & i can usually pin it down to either low O2 in solution & slightly high res temps like 80f, which really promotes anerobic bacteria(the bad guys). Lowering temps to the 68-72f range & increasing DO in res solution + adding the H2o2 would be my next move if i was you. Variables variables variables, there always there & like has been mentioned everyones system & growing style is different!
Do the pot/media flush/leach out & run H2o2 & Nutes(only) for a week! your EC does seem fine but ive seen plants burn to fk with EC0.8 before now in DWC, so watch that, if you know the strains EC needs & have run her before its more than likely bacteria.
Good Luck with it man!
What I posted first here is spot on, and is what is happening. I believe the chaps here who say their PH goes up when plants feed, but in over 6 years if hydro, 5 different hydro style systems, my PH always goes down gradually as plants metabolism increases in bloom. I did use PPMs the first two years, but stopped as it had no real value to my op. I run consistant nute regimines, and can tell by the leaf how things are going, and what the gals need. The skin on my hand will tell me if the water is over 70, just by repetition.
My water is about 8ph, and I leave it that way, the only time I adjust ph is with the first res fill that the new gals are going into. In my tidal systems, 5.5-6.5 keeps the gals dancing and the roots happy. No worries samba, add some up if you need to, it does not hurt.
Bet you fellas who go up with feeding have low ph water to start with don't ya?
H